Expansion process and apparatus for refining of hydrocarbons



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,580

' R. K. COLLINS EXPANSION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR R EFINING OF HYDROGARBONS.

Filed July 28. 19 26 4 sheets-sheet 1 Ex ander 1 Qwuwhtoo 13115551 K. B c] 113L115 Jan. 3, 1928.

R. K. COLLINS EXPANSION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING OF HYDROCARBONS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July as. 1926 Wigwam.

- Jan. 3, 1928.

R. K. COLLINS EXPANSION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING OF HYDROCARBONS Filed July 28. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 g'wl ntoz Russ E U. K. E all-L115 Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,580

R. K. COLLINS EXPANSION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING OF HYDROCARBONS Filed July 28. 1926 .4 Sheets-Sheet 4. PT .7. C V5.

\ ZI 111455911 K. I: call-L115 I x Patented Jan. 3, 1928..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

--RUSSELL K. COLLINS, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

, EXPANSION rnocnss AND APPARATUS non REFINING or nynnoonnnoivs.

Application filed July 28,1926. Serial No. 125,502.

This invention relates to improvements in treatment of hydrocar on oils ,-by means of which to obtain a better motor fuel, at an increased proportionate yield,-which is better in quality than motor fuels produced by ,10 conventional processes, because of its ability to operate an internal combustion engineat higher compression. a if A further and portant object of this invention is the provision of an improved process and apparatus for the production of gasoline'or other volatile fuels from hydrocarbon materials, utilizing the; expansion process of refinin ing application, erial #563,136, filed May 23, 1922, and -by-mean.s.,of: which the percenta' e of unsaturates efiiciently controlle independent ofi th'e percent of yield. A further objectof this invention is the provision of an"- improved apparatus and as process for the refining of hydrocarbon materials, by means of which the percentage of yield of fuel can be controlled by reason ofjchanging the concentration of vapors, and by reason of certain safety. zones provided in the apparatus wherein the hydrocarbon molecules may be received from certain heating zones during the conversion and recombination treatment of the product.

,A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved process for' the treatment of hydrocarbon oils, in the vapor phase; the improved treatment being carried .forward in a treating zone free of any ex: cessive-pressures, wherein all of the vapor, 4c in massform, is heattreated uniformly by means of: a series of uniformly spaced heating elements intercepting the area thru which the vapor is flowing.

. A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved process for the refining. of, hydrocarbon oils in the vapor ,tional view showing anchor, means for sup phase, 'embodying a novel process of operation and treatment for the purpose of un1 formly treating and regulating the heating,

to conversion, decomposition, and recombinat1on of. hydrocarbon molecules for the-production of an improved quantity and yield of gasoline over present known processes.

.Other objects'and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent during the; course of the following detailed description. V

0 set forth in my co-pend-' sponding parts throughout the several views,

'Figure 1 is a sectlonal view, partly diagrammatic, showing the improved portions of the apparatus thru which the hydrocarbon material passes in the improved refining steps of this process.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken thru an improved portion of the apparatus which may be'referred to as an expander, and wherein the hydrocarbon material in the vapor phase is treated and heated in a novel manner for the pr0- duction of a motor fuel.

v.Fig'ures .3, 4, 5, and 6 are cross'sectional views taken substantially on their respective lines in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Fi ure 7 is a diagram of a chart showing t e relation and control of the ercentage of unsaturates with respect to t e tem-' perature operation of the expander unit of this invention, and more particularly showing the independence, at certain expander temperatures, of the percentage of unsaturatcs with respect to the percentage of a certain quality of asoline; this. chart representing a typica mean operation of the process. Y I

Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are diagrammatic representations showing the manner 1n which the improved process is operated to uniformly treat hydrocarbon-vapors for the most efficient conversion and recombina tion thereof to produce an improved propor-' In the accompanying drawings, forming a i part of this specification, and wherein simi-- lar reference characters designate corre tionate yield and quality of motor fuel over present known processes; the views more particularly showing the relation. inwhich thehydrocarbon vapors aresubjected to the heating zones of certain heatingelements about which the hydrocarbon vapors arefree to'travel; the different views more particularly designating typical circumstances of operation of the system and process.

Figure13- is an enlarged fragmentary-sections ofwhich are shown in the draw1ngsand comprise a still 13 supported upon a furnace constructionC. An expander tank or receptacle D is supported upon a novel oven,

still. thereof the still 13 is provided with a vapor 'dome 19 into which the vapor travels and furnace, or other foundation E preferably in such manner that. precincts of comlnislionI may be received from the *lu-nacc C for also heating thfeexpander .D and so that a lire may also be built beneath the expander, or

other independent means used for heating the same than the furnace C. The still B'ha s' a vapor flow line F connected therewith and with the expander D. Other portions of the apparatus are conventional, andv may comprise dephlegniators; condensersj treating apparatus; separators; and the like.

.ln the preferred instance the vaporizer or still-l3 is of the shell type. -The initial vaporizer or still 15 may he such a type as will produce the vapors from pelrolcuiii in the. order of their respective boiling poiuts.-

it is n'eicrahlv of the horizontal -tv 'ic sunported by the front and rear-walls l5 and 16 respectively of the furnace C, and above the grate 16 of the furnace C in spaced rela- Lion therewith tov provide a tire compartment 1.7 beneath the still 13 which may be of any approved character. The furnace C may be designed to' provide an ash p'it l8 thereloeneath and the fuel used may be oil, gas, coal,

or any other suitable heating medium, even electrical.

. The vaporizer or still B may be provided with any of the conventional controls, and these are necessary in order that the vapor may be in the best condition for reception in the expander I). wherein the novel process may be etliciently carried out without being sulo'ect to eccentricities due to lnCO1ll')l(3lt.

or inefiiciently vaporized products from the lntermediate :ts ends and on the top flows into the horizontal vapor line F past a check valve 21 which prevents its return to the still. l

The expander unit it) is morepartieularly shown'in Figure 2 of the drawings, and coinprises a vertically disposed hollow'cylindrical shaped shell or housing 80 including the cylindrical shaped side wall 31 havmg a top header or wall of the disc type periphorally welded in place within the upper end of they cylindrical shaped body portion and also llllillltllllg a disc-shaped bottom wall or header peripherally welded in place within the lower end of the body 31. lhe shellStl 1s thusprovided with a vertical substantially cylindrical shaped compartment therein which isof uniform diameter from end to end throughout the vertical height thereof. I

Vertical tubes or other heating elements 86 are supported their ends in the top and bottom plates or headers 32 and 3.3. lln t e preferred instance the heating; elements 36 will be tubes. although they are referred to si-hle to form them of electricalresistance c'oils. In fact any elongated heating ele ments may be utilized which are in the same definite arrangen'ient. The heating elements or tubes 36 at their-upper ends each extend vtliru openingsin the top plate or header 32 and in SillCl openings are surrounded bysoft -metal or other sealing material rings 38, and

the upper outer ends 39 of the said fines or tubes 36 are peened outwardly and over the uppersurface of the top wall. 32, as illus trated in thedrawings, to provide a tight joint which will prevent the vapor leaking from the compartment 35 thru the joints of the lines atthe plate 32. In similar manner at their lower ends the fines or heating ele; ments' 36 extend lhr'u suitable apertures in the bottom wall 33 ancl'also thru apertures in a centering disc etOat the outer surface of the bottom plate or headerv 33; these lower ends of the lines being surrounded byjmeansof ring-shaped washers 42 disposed in the as heating elements since it is entirely poS- said openings, and'iiie lower extreme ends of the fines or tubes are outwardly'peened at 43 in overlying relation on the lower surface of the centering plate 40, in the relation of parts'illustrated in Figure 2 of'the draw ings to provide a leak-proof joint for'th'c vapors. in the. compartment 35 of'tlie e'xpander shell. The passageways '44:, in case the heating elements 36 are tubular or'flue-.

I like in form, are ofuniforni diameter'from" end to end and openoutwardlyat the. ends thereof at the outer surfaces ofthe end plates of the shell, and the heating medium is adapted to pass thruthese passageways 44.

Allf'of-the heating elements or fiues.36 are of the same diameter, lengths, and propor-' tionate positioning with respect to the draft or. source of heat. They are uniformly spaced e'xterio'rly from each other Within the shell compartment 35 in a somewhat stag;- gerecl relation so that each one of-said tubes Will immediately face the space between an.

adjacent pair ofthe tubes. In this manner a typical example of the reaction thrn which the vapors pass may consist of an arrangement of three tubes as illustrated in Figures 8 to 12 inclusive, surrounded by certain heating zones, with. a definite safety zone in the central space between these three tubes 'ldort 'lVorth, Texas, and also-at Ranger,

Texas, e'apanders have been used utilizing a three-foot diameter shell, fourteen. feet in length, with two-inch interior diameter flues or tubes fourteen feet in length. Thisiextion from one section of the compartment to pander contained fifty-four of the two-inch tubes or flues. Of course expanders of (hfferent shell dimensions and tube dimensions -may be provided under various, circ'um-" smaller openings or perforations 47 thru' which the vapors pass in their baffled relathe other. The bafile plates are provided in order to interfere with theverticaI mass.

" movement of the vapors under treatment, in.

order that thevapor molecules will be most efficiently distributed aboutfthe heating fines or elements'36 in order to best and most efficiently come under the influence of the heat energy radiated to causea uniform conversion and recombination. ofithe vapor molecules.

Referring to the support of the expander shell 30 the furnace 'E is provided, of the Dutch oven type, including the base walls 50, hav-ing a frusto-conicalsupporting wall 51 at the top thereof, upon which the expander shell 30 is supported thru the inter-f mediary of an insulating and protecting construction 52 which will be fully described" hereinafter. The furnace E has heating communication thru a passageway 54 with the furnace compartment of the vaporizer or still .B, so that the products of combustion therefrom may pass thru certain openings 55 in the furnace walls 50 and thence pass upwardly thru the furnace E into the passageways of the fines 36. The Dutch oven or furnace E is also arranged to inde p'enden'tly heat the expander from fire box 5i). a I The construction 52 preferably consists of a'metal cylindrical shaped wall 57 having a spaced at its outer periphery'a'short distance".

-' bottom metal plate 58 welded or otherwise secured thereto. The plate 40. of the shell construction, above described, is annularly inwardly from the outer peripheryv of the shell wall 31. and-in this space the'lupper marginal portion of. the cylindrical shaped wall 57 is adapted to be received, to seat the lower marginal edge of the shell wall"31 on the top edge of the wall the lume thus being snugly received u pp'er open Turnvided'iu connected relation between the wall 57 and the wall 31 of the shell 30, to seend of the cylindrical shaped wall or body 57, to act. as a centering feature.

buckle or clamping structuresGO are pro curely and detachably clamp the shell 30 upon the construction 52 in a proper supported' relation; any number of these turn-buckles or clamps 60 being provided circumferentially for thesupport of the shell upon the construction 52, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. "When thus seated the wall or plate 40 is vof eourse spaced from the lower plate 58'of the construction 52, and inthis space directly upon the bottom platc 58 is disposed a thickness of insulating mar teria-l 61 of any approved character. lVithin the space and in spaced vrelation above the insulation material 61 is disposed a preferably metal plate 63' which is peripherally welded in place tothe' wall 57 and on top of this plate 63 restsinsulating material 6i of'any approved thickness, The space 65 between the plate 63 and insulating material 61 s a dead air space to furnish'the proper insulation for protecting the bottom plate or header of the shell construction, and between the top surface of the insulation (3i and the bottom centering plate 40 of the shell construction is also disposed a space 68 which nspay be termed-a ventilating space, since the wall 57 of the construction 52in confronting relation with the space 68' is. 7

provided with vent ports 70 annularly surrounding the wall 57, as illustrated in Figui e 2 of the drawings." This construction efl feetively protects the bottom plate of the shell construction against deteriorating heating influences.

.The heat from the'furnace properly con:

ducted to the flues or heating elements 36 by means ,of auxiliarycondueting flues 72 which are preferably cast iron. They are tubular in form and snugly extend -thru openings provided in the plates 58 and 63 and the insulation material 61 and 64, and at their lower ends they extend to the outer surface of the plate =58and are there peenedover at 7 L in a sealed relation; sealing rings'75 of some metallic sealing substance preferably sealing the joint of the said auxiliary heat-' .ing flues 72 upon the plate 58, to prevent passage of heat exteriorly about said flues upwardly thru the plate 58, The said auxiliary heating fines or elements 72 at their upper ends are ,swedged and reduced at 77, so that they may be detachably fitted snugly into the lower ends of the passageways 44 of the heat conducting flues 36, in the relation illustrated in Figure 2.

As a means of preventing the dropping of the auxiliary fines or heating elements 72 it is preferred to provide bolts 78 in dct'aclr ably supported relation upon the bottom plate 58 of the insulating construction 52,

\vhich niay be adjusted so that the heads I9;

. thereof will engage the pecned outerfianges vll conduit 80 extending vertically downward and havinga connection at 81-in' the lower end of the expander shell 30 several inches above the bottomplate 33; the vapor inlet.

introducing the vapors into the shell compartment below the baffle plate 46. One or more of these inlets may be provided, but it is preferred to only provide one inlet. In the by-pass'line 80 is provided a control valve 83, and in the vapor line F at the remote side or the bypass conduit connection is provided a cut-ott valve 84 which may be closed to direct all of the vapors thru the by pass line and through the expander. Of courseby closing the valve 83 the vapors thru the'iflow line F may be cut oil from the expander. Y

In the top of the expander shell 30 at the diametrically opposed side' tr om the inlet connection of the conduit 8 O"is an exit con duit 85 for exit ofthe converted and rccoin bined vapor molecules; this connection co nmunicatingwithtthe compartment at the top thereof, several inches. below the top header or plate 32, and in the space above the top bafile plate 45. In this conduit line 85. is provided a check valve 87 f conventional form, and the conduit 85*has a vertically.ex-

tending drop connection 88 withthe horizontal flow line Fwhich leads to any suitable dephl'egmating means or condensing apparatus, as Well known to the art, and shown more particularly in my co-pendingapplicw tion above referred to. I 1 1 In the connecting passageway betweemtlie vaporizer furnace and'the expander furnace E 13 disposed a control damper 90. The "iup per-end'of the expander shell may be stabilized by means of diagonal brace rods 91,

' which are received insuitable sockets QQ at tached to the upperexterior end of the shell 30 and at their lower ends received in suit able sockets 93 supported on the top o thelurnace wall construction illustratt-xd in Figure 1 ot the drawings. The heat or products of combustion as they pass from the tubes '36 are received in'a space 9-1 above the top plate or header 32 and are guided by means of a frusto-conical hood '95; into any approved pipe or chimney. Theiurnac'es, of the vaporizer and expanderare of course provided with suitable temperature recorders for determining the heat being applied to theproduct and vapor product during the process of treatment thereof in any of its stages.

Referring to the operation-of the inven- I tion the petroleumproduct is placed in the still l3 and there vaporized at suitable tempcratures in order that the vapors ofthepctroleum passotl in the order of their respective boiling points. The speed of operation of the vaporizer. for the improved process is substantially three times that permissible under normal skimming operation, with good separation. This speed of operation is due to the rearranging eli'ect upon the original vapor molecules, within the ex pander, to produce at a highspeed of operation a very much larger percent of the gasoline fractions than are. conventionally produced.

The vapor passes thru the by-pass conduit 83 into. the lower end of the expander chambet or compartment. The design of the .tu bular heating elements oi the expanded provides a' means whereby the predetermined necessary amount of heat, which may be developed in any suitable manner; may be conducted with precision and exactness into amass of hydrocarbon vapors with equal distribution of radiant heat energy throughout the mass; .The vapor entering the inlet port at the lower end of the expander shell immediately contacts with the heated flues or tubes nearest the inlet port or ports, as the case may be, and receiving heat energy from the heating elements 86 the vapors will rise in spiralled relation about the heating elements'36 in a vertical mass movement material passes the heating elements next immediately adjacent. the ports to the opposite side of the shell and contacts with the remainder of the fines within the lower chamber of the cxpandetbelow the lowermost battle plate 46. -'lhe distribution of vapors is assisted by the positioning of the perforated battle plates 45 and 46 which interfere with the mass movement otthe,

lll)

vapors, and this interference with the natuthe expander the influence of the heat on chemical reaction, the theory of which will the vapor molecules will produce a thermobe described morein detail hereinafter, so

that the vapors are treated in successive stages throughout the height of the expandsubject, to an initial conversion; Above this".

the conversion of the vapor molecules is being finished and recombination of the va per molecules has started. Above this re combinatienaof the vapor molecules has been efficientlyfcarried: out to form molecules of low. molecular weight. The thus recombined vapor molecules are then permitted .to exit thru the line 85 where tlley are sub ject to further conventional dephlegmating and condensing t-reatment' for the produc tion of gasoline.

to those skilled in the artthat success in the vapor; phase produc It is well known tion of gasoline depends upon careful attention to details of design and operation. This has been found especially true-in vapor phase cracking processes. Conventional cracking processes using the vapor phase are carried out by'the. exterior .heatTtreatment of the hydrocarbon vapors which are carried within tubes or'c'oils having a definite space restriction. These conventional vapor phase treatments carried out' within tubes or flues compel the'vap'or to have a highvelocity and a very turbulent flow. It is notorious that such conventional processes I produce gasoline having large proportion of end'point'compounds, with' a lack of properproportio'n oflow boiling point hydrocarbons glnihese conventional vapor phase cracking processes". the unsaturation percentage is notoriouslyl uncontrollable, so that to economically-produce a proper yield of gasoline requires 1 that the olefin content thereof be irregulaigi'and in many instances the motor fuel is commercially unusable or inefficient.

It has heretoforebeen thought that hydrocarbon in vapor phase would decompose better "in-tubes than in an unrestricted space, but this is'only true because no efiicient means for carrying out the thermo-chemical treatment within the-space had been. provided.

vAn outstanding feature ofthe vapor phase treatment of hydrocarbons of this invention,

over the conventional vapor treatment within tubes or coils, is the facility with which the heat reactions-may be controlled. The actual heat'radiated within the tube or co l system of vapor treatment is either entirely too great or too small in quantity and it is notoriously difficult to attain a mean control. -'If the flow within a restricted tube be -slowed sufiiciently to enable the proper decomposition, the molecules immediately next to the interior walls of the tube will be decomposed too rapidly and result in end point products. Now if we assume an increased flow of the vapor thru a tube or vapor coil, the molecules no longer move in straight line, but have a turbulent motion or flow which produces a centrifugalmass motion of the vapors, thereby continually forcing the mass of vapors towards the inner wall of the flue where the tube is hottest so that they are subjected to an excessive application of heat energy and result in end point products the same as in the case where the velocity is slowed in the pipes or tubes to produce a straight line flow. With the conventional vapor phase treating tube or coil, each tube of coil in effect is a unit in itself,

and it is not reasonable to assume that any number of such tubes can ave identical efi'ects j upon vapors being conducted .thru them, since the reaction within each tube or coil is isolated from the reaction within. all other tubes or coils of the system.

Uniformity under. commercially practical conditions cannot exist and has proven not to exist-with the conventional tube or coil vapor phase refining or treating systems,

since the conditions governing heat transfer, radiation, conduction, convection, intensity of heat, and heat absorption by the vapors cannot be accurately and eliiciently controlled in conventional processes heretofore developed.

Referring now to a comparative explanation of'the reaction, flow, and treatment of the vapor particles in the improved expansion process, withrespect to the conventionalvapor treating processes above outlined, the vapors as above mentioned enter the lower .end of the expander compartment and pass upwardly in a. spiral relation about the heating elements. The flow of the hydrocarbon vapors upwardly thru the expander will be a turbulent flow even at the slowest speed commercially practical, but the physical action of the vapors will be directly opposite to the type of treatment which is accorded vapors within the conventional cracking tubes and coils. The effect of the reception of sufiicicnt heat. by the movement about the heating elements; (2) creating a centrifugal force which moves the molecules away from the heating eleisthe case with the conventional cracking merits, and not toward the source of heat as molecules away from the heating elements is toward what may be aptly characterized satety zones, or-zones of low heat intensity which are graphically shown in typical occurrences in F igures 8 to 12 inclusive.

'In each of these figures is shown a series of three of the heating tubes or elements characterized as 36, 36 and 36; This is the typical occurrence in which the uniformly spaced fines are arranged in the expander, and the thus triangular spaced arrangement of'heating elements provides a central substantiallytriangular shaped safety zone 01 space 110 arranged in substantially vertical parallel relation throughout the length of the spaced heating elements, and which safety zone plays a very important part in the conversion and recombination of the vapor molecules to produce the increased yield of hydrocarbon product at comparatively high speed of operation of the unit,

As" is designated in Figure 9 surrounding each of the heating tubes or elements 36, 36 and 36, are the annular zones'lll, which may be increased in depth or degree of intensity by regulating the temperature of the heating elements. The intensity of these heating zonesto' carry out the proper re-- action may be varied so that the depths of the said heating Zones 111 operate to increase or decrease the cross area of the low heating zones or draft ways 110 between i and along the said fines or heating'e'lements. The intensity may be increased as illustrated I to in Figure 10, over the illustration in Figure 9, until the; heat radiating zones 111 are ,in intimate contact, which is'probably the most efficient circumstance under which the process is operated so as to provide transversely closed safety zones of triangular shape. The intensity of the heating Zones may be increased until they overlap as i1 lust-rated in Figure 11 and the safety zone will be completely eliminated, and the overlapping of the intense heating zoneslll will cause the hydrocarbon vapors therein to become decomposedinto-end point products.

In Figure12 is illustrated an extreme eX-.

ample showing the results of carrying the heating to a' point of excess so that the vapor will be decomposed into end point products of an undesirable nature.- In Figure 8 is illustrated in dotted lines a subdivision otthe heating zones into a plurality ofheating zones 111 111 and 111 of successively de-.

creasing intensity from each of the heating flues or elements, and in these various eoncentric or otherwise positioned heating zones the hydrocarbon vapors are treated to best carry out the reaction tor the speedy production of an increased y eld of desirable hydrocarbon products.

The movement of the molecules due'to the increase of energy is from the heating elements towards the safety zones or central spaces 110, and the apparent results upon zones, finally contacting with the radiating Which have zones, while the molecules formed 1nt o a configuration which'is stable under the conditions of operation established are'sufliciently decreased in specific gravity to permit of their increased velocity-in a vertical upward movement. molecules are not susceptible to the heat "radiating from the lines or heating elements from the standpoint of affecting-their, configuration, but are susceptible to the spiral travel of the heat radiated from the fines, to accelerate their movements out of.-tlie expander, and hence they move into the safety zones where the least thcrmo-chemical acti'v-fl ity takes place, under normal operation, thence into the condensing system. This condition inheres in the graphic example illustrated in Figure 10. I x

If the concentration of vapor is below the point at which the quantity of vapor traversing the heatin zones is insulficient to dissipate the quantity of heat energy radiated, or if the, radiation of energy is increased with- These stable out a corresponding increase in vapor concentration, the effect will be to cut downthe area of the safety zones until a point is reached where the radiation of any flue overlaps tovarying degree the radiations ofxadjacen-t flues as is graphically illustrated iii-- Figures 11 and 12. This radiation overlap when progressively increased, decreases the stability of the vapor product, introduced int'o'the expander, until a point is reached at which the only stable system is-that which consists of end point products such as car bon and fixed gases. The control of this situation will be hereina fter more fully commented upon.

The heating elements or flues act-1y, the same length, diameter; and proportionate positioning with respect to the draft or source of heat, so that the radiation 01 supplied heat encrgy into the mass of vapors must necessarily be approximately the same throughout the entire length of each tube or heating element of the system. As a consequence with a positive control of the vapor izer or stills-rate of distillation, and or the quantity of heat being generated and vsup are of eX- plied the heating elements or lines, it is not difficult to have a positive control of the heat effect upon the vapors subject to treatment by this process. Positive and uniform heat radiation of control in commerciall' "practical manner has been proven during'iexp'erimental and commerical tests of the recess. The normal rate ofjilhw of vapordrom the still or vaporizer to the expander,determined as the mean rate 'to be used,'is admitted to the expander-when the latter is only a few degrees in temperature ahead of the temperature of the incoming vapors. The temperature of the expander isthen increased to the maximum gasoline yield Without reaching the critical carbon and gas production point being treated- Under these conditions the heat from the heating elements or time is restricted considerably, and the zones of greatest chemical activity shown in Figure 9 are small in proportion to-thetotal area occupied by the vapors, tity'of radiant heat energy transmitted into the vapors is increased thefields ot' radiation and intensity ofchemical eifectf grow, until the relation illustrated in 'Figure 10 1s reached. where the radiations-have become ,thermo-cliemsufliciently strong to "touch the ically eiiective radiating i iel d s' otadjacent fines or heating elements." results in thej producti percent yield of ga products forming, mal operating'icond onflas-above mentioned.

A's to the practice operating conditions, the still is charged," as ffor-a batch run, and fired when two petcocks' by gauge column have been charged to*it,=raising the temperature at the IZLlZQ'Oi about fifty to sixty degrees F.

per hour,- until at a temperature of about 190 F. when the about 11:; panama-rise, until the oil. has passed the'temperature at which it isflikely to puke (212 F.225 The still temperature is now raised at about 40 F. per houruntil the still is over. Just prior to this steam should be turned into the expander thru a steam conduit 120 which has connctions with both the vaporizer and expander,

he maximum hout end point and an ext'eriorisource of steam, and the steam is fed into the expander in suitable quantities at pounds on a twonch valve, and then the expander'is heated by means of oneburner to the same'temperature as. still or vaporizer B. The still is fired-until streams are running about 15 to 20 barrels per hour, and the start pump charging sern" continuous. When thevaporizer or still has settled down to steady continued streamsof' about 15 to QOdbarrels per hour the vapor from the still is by-passe'd into the expander, with the latter heated at about 100 F. higher temperature than thestill. The straight away .valve 84 islett wide 'open until the expander has taken the vapor cor'- rectly, is slowly, closed until all of the vapors are passing thrutheexpander conduit 83 into together from the expander.

possible for the type of oil As the" quan- This condition.

s considered the nor fire should be slakened to and then the straight away. valve 84- I; the lower end of the expander. At about this time, or as soon as the vapors have passed onto thetail house the steam charging thru shown by test cuts of the tail house streams,

and then the steam should be cut out al In case of overheating of the expander, firing should be reduced even though the temperature shown by the recorder within the expander is not above the regular running temperature of 670 F. to 800 F. This overheating is probably due to a. too small feed of vapors coming over into the expander for treatment, and will befurthcr ev denced by the character of distill-ates coming over, which will be very dark brown to black in color, and carry a large amount of granular carbon in suspension. The conditioif gwil-l be corrected by reducing the expander'fires, but not necessarily the recordingitemperature withinthe expander it it is lessfZthan the specified regular running temperatures. for the material being treated.

A mean low temperature for any particula oil may be empirically determined, and should be increased on the expander as soon as the expander settles down to handling the vapors steadily to the maximum temperature for that specific oil.

In commercial practice the maximum tem perature allowable in expander for any rate of vapor supply from any type of petroleum oil, is that temperature, determin l by experimentation, at which a small amount of granular carbon is suspended in, the streams passing thru the receivir house.

The following control methods are effcc of carbon and end point gases The amount of carbon coming over may be reduced to zero or just within commercial' limits by :-j

1-. Reducing the temperature in the expander. This may be done'by slackening the fire in'tlie expander fire box.

2. By increasing the rate of feed ojfinew o iljto the vaporizer so as to provide a lower 'bbil ing fraction which will distill at the *perature of the still then effective.

o. By, increasing. the rate of distillate from the still orjvaporizer .by increasing the fire'under thesame. I

practically uniform and'permanent adjustment may be secured by the immediate, careful, and repeated,.but very slight reduction ofthe expander fire at the first appearance of carbon, during a period of about thirty minutes, in order to bring the expander into synchronism with the rate and volume at which the still is producing and supplying vapor.

Iii-1 No liquids are contained in the expander during Operation, and in'this connection the expander may be provided with a suitable drain trap (not shown) for removing any liquid which in the starting and stopping at operation of same'may collect therein.

' From the foregoing it is apparent that synchronism of the vaporizer and the expander still-means that just the right ve locity and volnmeo f untreated oil vapor is "upplied from the vaporizer to'the expander still so that the heat generated within the expander fire box may, by means ot-the novel heating element arrangement in the expander,

lie-applied to the \apors with a thoroughness andQi'apirlity that will permit the -largcr partqot the energy being so developed and supplied, to cause .the physical andchcnn cal changes necessary for the maximum'conversion of the initial vapors into gasoline, and at'the same time have a minimum production'of-end point products commercially allowable} There-should be just enough steam sup- I plied to the vaporizer or still to agitate the oil upon its bottom plates according to general practice, and none should be supplied to the expanderstill-direct except as above vapors.

'The theory of molecular conversion fol.

mentioned for starting the same, and when shutting downz for any reason to remove lows well known laws. The re-association of particles'whichfhave been dissociated by the action of the heat is due to the attraction or energy of thesame, and it is due to the favorable mechanical arrangements of this apparatus, and the novel; spaced relation of the heating elements-of this invention, that enables the proper dissociation and chemical reaction and the etiicient re-association or combination into the new complex hydrocarbonmolecules which wlll'remain stable upder practical conditions ofoperation such as are herein outlined.

In Fi ure 7 is ra hicall shown a chart a s P y defining the relation of the percent of unsaturates to the percent of. yield of 450 F.

- end point gasoline. 1 This chart shows that the percentage of tin-saturates is controlled independent of the percent otyield and this is very important in view of the modern practice to definitely ascribe a mean -percent age of unsaturates to motor fuel oil, as necesof steam in the expander; and by changing the quantity'of oil vapors tedto the expander in a given time. This control would not be commerciallyfeasible in the absence of the improved arrangement of penetrating the vaporspace by means ot'a plurality of uni: formly spaced heating flues or elements to provide heating zones of controllable varying intensity. i

From the't'oregoing description of this invention it is apparent that a novel process of refining hydrocarbon products has been prov1ded,-\vh1ch includes aseries ofzonesEof j thermala'a'diation which are of least thermochemical effectiveness intermediate a plurality of heat radiating zones, wherein are most efficiently removed the desired products of reaction betorethe time factor can cause their decomposition into end point reaction products. In this manner the yield of motor fuel and unsaturate percentages may be controlled eiiiciently for the production of a better motor fuel having a high compression ratio, and of a greater yield than is proportionately possible with present known vapor phase refining, treating'and cracking processes. Various changes in the steps of the process and the rearrangement of mechanical means by which the process may be effected, may be made 'to the invention herein shown and described, Without departing om the spirit of the same or the scope'of the claims.

Iclaim: f

. 1. That process of refining hydrocarbons in the vapor phase which co-nsists'in feeding the hydrocarbon in its vapor phase vertically thruja space pierced by a plurality of heat radiating zones which heat the vapor to substantially the same intensity so that each thermo-chemically eii'ectiv'e vapor conversion zone substantially abuts in unobstructed and non-overlapping relation with the outer-portions of the like adjacent heating zones;

2.' .That process of refining hydrocarbons in the vapor pl'1asewhich consists in feeding the-hydrocarbon in its vapor phase verticallythru a space pierced by a plurality, of

heat radiating zones which heat the vapor to substantially the same intensity so that each .eti'ective vapor conversion z'one substantially abuts in' a non-overlapping relation with the outer portions of the like adjacent heating zones,-the'heat.ing zones being arranged in spaced relatively unobstructive relation so as to provide vertical zones of lower heat intensity between the heating zones.

3. That process of treating hydrocarbons which consists.in feeding the hydrocarbon in its vapor phase thru a vertical compartment which is pierced by a plurality of substantially vertically disposed heating elements,

the heat radiations of which are such as to produce annular heating zones thereabout of a predetermined thermal intensity which cause a decomposition of the initial vapor product therein, the heat intensity of the zones being so regulated that outer boundaries th'ereot' beyond which decomposition of the vapor is not possible will substantially abut with respect to each other in a non-overlapping relation with like adjacent heating zones.

4. That process of refining hydrocarbons which consists in passing a, hydrocarbon vapor into an expension area and heating zones are in substantial contact at a predetermined temperature determined by the temperature at which the vapor molecules may be favorably decomposed.

5. That process of refining hydrocarbons which consists in passing a hydrocarbon vapor into an expansion area, heating the vapor by a plurality of vertically disposed,

spaced heating elements which are heated to such a degree that the same will externally radiate heat in annular zones about the heatingelements until the heating zones are in substantial contact at a predetermined temperature determined by the temperature at which the vapor molecules may be favorably decomposed, said heating elements being arranged so that the heating zones provide intermediate zones between the heating zones which are of less thermo-chemically active temperature than the above predetermined temperature, and wherein the hydrocarbon vapors may pass in combination after treatment in the various adjacent heating.

zones.

6. That process of cracking hydrocarbons which consists in feeding the hydrocarbon in vapor phase in an undivided mass into a vertically arranged conversion area wherein the vapor. travels from the bottom to the top of the area and within said conversion area thermo-chemically treating the vapor during its length of travel thru the conversion area by a plurality of vertically arranged heating zones disposed in a transverse triangularly laterally unobstructed arranged relation.

7. Apparatus for the treating of hydrocarbon products comprising a vertically disposed shell having a compartment therein, spaced top and bottom plates for'the shell, flues connected at their upper and lower ends in said upper and lower plates each having passageways therethrough opening at their ends exteriorly of their respective partm-ent and causing it toexist at the upper end of said compartment, heat insulating means for the 'lower plate of said shell, means extending thru said heat insulating means for causing heat to travel thru" said flue passageways, said last mentioned means including a plurality of auxiliary flues'having the upper ends thereof detachably fitting into the lower ends of the passageways of the first mentioned fiues of the shell.

'8. Apparatus for the treatment of hydrocarbon products comprising a vertically disposed expander tank having a compart- 'ment therein and including a bottom, tubes extending vertically through the tank havingpassageways thcrethrough opening on the bottom of said tank, a casing connected with the tank therebelow having transverse perforations therethrough adjacent the bottom of the tank, an insulating plate mounted in said casingin spaced relation below the bottom of the tank, and fines extending through said insulating plate to the bottom of said tank having passageways therethrough aligning with the passageways of the tubes of said tank for conveying products of combustion from below the insulating plate into the tubes in the tank, the openings in said casing opening directly into the space between saidinsulating plate and the bottom of said tank.

9. Apparatus for the treatmentpf hydrocarbon products comprising a vertically disposed expander tank having a compartment therein and including a bottom, tubes extending vertically through the tank having passageways therethrough opening on the bottom of said tank, a casing connected with the tank therebelow having transverse perforations therethrough adjacent the bottom of the tank, an insulating plate mounted in said casing in spaced relation below the bottom' of the tank, fiues extending through said insulating plate to the bottom of said tank I having passageways therethrough aligning with the passageways of the tubes of said tank for conveying products of combustion from below the insulating plate into 'the tubes in the tank, the openings in said casing opening directly into the space between said insulating plate and the bottom of said tank, a second insulation plate in the casing in spaced relation below the first mentioned insulating plate having the flues extended across said space into the last mentioned plate forthe-purpose of directing products of combustion from beneath the RUSSELL K. COLLINS 

